Introduction
Depression and loneliness are a deadly combination. Loneliness is a growing issue as more people live alone. According to health insurance companies, there has also been a rise in major depression for Americans. The overlap between depression and loneliness contributes to social isolation. Loneliness and depression are growing problems that people deal with in their lives. Here are twenty ways how you can practically deal with depression and loneliness.
Depression and Loneliness
What Is Depression?
According to the Mayo Clinic, depression is a “mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest. Also called a major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to various emotional and physical problems.” Depression can make it difficult for you to function and do day-to-day activities and tasks. At its worst, depression can make you feel that life is not worth living.
There are different types of depression. One is short-term depression which will last only for a brief period. You may then never experience it again. The second is situational depression. You may share this when you move and don’t know anyone or are afraid of your big move. The final type of depression is long-term depression. Long-term depression is when you will have to deal with depression throughout your life.
As some people may call it, a person cannot just get out of depression or snap out of it. Depression is more than being sad or having the blues. If you experience depression, you may want to consider seeking out long-term treatment. People with depression will often discover that they will feel better with therapy, medication, or doing both to deal with their depression. Another way is to find ways to stay busy to take your mind off your depression by finding things you enjoy doing with your time.
Related Article: Know Your Enemy: Depression
6 Different Types of Common Depression
From my own experience, depression can also come from people not thinking they have a purpose for their life, so they go into cycles of depression. These cycles of depression could come from not meeting the goals you set for yourself, having trouble finding a job, and being unemployed. Or even being underemployed. Depression can make you feel and think that you don’t matter or that you are unable to contribute to society, which makes you think, “what is the point?” Or, “why am I here?” These thoughts then lead to a cycle of depression.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, there are six common depression types. Four types of depression affect both men and women, while two kinds of depression are specific to women. Major depression is when you lose interest in activities you once enjoyed and become consumed by a malignant dark mood. Persistent depressive disorder is a low mood depression that lasts for at least two years without reaching the intensity of major depression. Bipolar disorder is when someone experiences episodes of depression. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a seasonal depression that starts as the days get shorter in the fall and winter months.
Two types of depression are unique to women. Women are at risk of experiencing perinatal depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) because women’s reproductive hormones influence these two types of depression. Perinatal depression, or postpartum depression, is a depression that has minor and major depressive episodes during pregnancy or the first twelve months of delivery for women. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which symptoms start after ovulation and at the start of menstruation.
Depression Symptoms
Since there are various types of depression, people could experience it once or throughout their lives. During the depression, there are symptoms of depression that will occur for most of the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of depression that you may experience during the day with depression include:
- Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, or hopelessness
- Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters
- Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies, or sports
- Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
- Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
- Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
- Anxiety, agitation, or restlessness
- Slowed thinking, speaking, or body movements
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
- Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, or suicide
- Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
For some people who deal with depression, the symptoms of depression can affect their daily lives. The symptoms covered below can make someone have problems performing day-to-day activities and tasks, such as studying for school, attending social events, and their relationships with friends and family. Depression can also make someone not want to
Along with these symptoms, depression can also cause other mental disorders. According to the Mayo Clinic, these are other disorders that depression can cause:
- Bipolar I and II disorders: Bipolar disorders are mood swings that range from highs (mania) mood swings that range from highs (mania) to lows (depression). It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between bipolar disorder and depression.
- Cyclothymic disorder: The cyclothymic disorder involves highs and lows that are milder than those of bipolar disorder.
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder: This mood disorder includes chronic and severe irritability and anger with frequent extreme temper outbursts in children. This disorder typically develops into depressive disorder or anxiety disorder during the teen years or adulthood.
- Persistent depressive disorder: Sometimes called dysthymia (dis-THIE-me-uh), this is a less severe but more chronic form of depression. While it’s usually not disabling, the persistent depressive disorder can prevent you from functioning normally in your daily routine and living life to its fullest.
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: This involves depression symptoms associated with hormone changes that begin a week before and improve within a few days after the onset of your period and are minimal or gone after completion of your period.
- Other depression disorders: This includes depression that’s caused by the use of recreational drugs, some prescribed medications, or another medical condition.
Related Article: Depression in Ageing Singles: 5 Steps for Aging Singles to Apply in Their Daily Life to Thrive in Midlife as a Single Person
Drivers of Depression
There are a few main drivers of depression in people’s lives. For Millennials, depression has been blamed on social media, debt, and the economy. The Millennials came up age during a transition point in the economy. Yet, during this transition from the physical economy to the online digital economy resulting from the Dot Com Boom, they were encouraged to go to college. Career counselors and parents believed that to be the only way to succeed. By going to college, Millennials went into debt only to discover that after they graduated and could only get an entry-level job dead-end job where they could never work their way up in a company. While depression is a mental health problem, depression can also be caused by not having financial stability.
Many Millennials are depressed because they were sold a lie about college. They struggle to make ends meet due to college debt, working gig jobs, rising living costs in the United States, and now inflation with no financial stability. Being sold a lie about college and America’s poor economy forces Millennials to find new ways to make ends meet, which previous generations did not understand. This has led Millennials to take part in The Great Resignation. Since Millennials are not economically and financially secure, which are significant factors contributing to self-confidence and well-being, many have become depressed.
Related Article: 30 Reasons For The Great Resignation
Related Article: Life As A Single Woman Uber Driver [The Gig Economy Experience]
What Is Loneliness?
Loneliness is the distressing feeling of being alone or separated. Loneliness is the state of distress or discomfort that results from a gap between one’s desires for social connection and actual experiences. Loneliness is isolation when you have no friends or a community in your life, creating a feeling of sadness. However, it is vital to point out that you can live by yourself without feeling lonely. More people are experiencing the emotions associated with loneliness and experiencing a gap between what they currently have and what they want to have in their social life. Loneliness is also a state of mind.
Related article: What Is The Difference? Solitude Versus Tyranny
The Loneliness Epidemic
Key Point: [bctt tweet=”The Loneliness Epidemic is a growing problem in the United States and worldwide.” via=”no”]
Loneliness is the cause of the loneliness epidemic. There is a difference between solitude and loneliness. More people experiencing loneliness create the loneliness epidemic.
There are two critical reasons for the rise in loneliness today. The atomization of people has led to increased social isolation and loneliness. Social media is also a problem. Those are two recent components of a society that have made people more isolated and less involved in their communities. People rarely know their neighbors today compared to previous generations. Social media has helped drive the loneliness epidemic as people spend more time on their screens rather than interacting with people in real life. There are also health consequences that come from loneliness. The other reason is the atomization of people, which results from people becoming more divided today.
Related Article: The Ultimate Guide for How to Host a Housewarming Party
Health Effects Of Loneliness
Key Point: [bctt tweet=”Loneliness can be as dangerous to your health as obesity and smoking.” via=”no”]
Loneliness can negatively affect your health. Loneliness can result in depression or early death. It can be as harmful to your health as smoking or being obese. Depression and anxiety are two common mental health issues resulting from loneliness.
According to the CDC and studies done by the National Academy of Sciences, risks from loneliness and social isolation include the following:
• Social isolation significantly increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes. This risk may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
• Social isolation was associated with about a 50% percent increased risk of dementia.
• Poor social relationships (characterized by social isolation or loneliness) were associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.
• Loneliness was associated with higher depression, anxiety, and suicide rates.
• Loneliness among heart failure patients was associated with a nearly four times increased risk of death, 68% increased risk of hospitalization, and 57% increased risk of emergency department visits.
Overlap Between Depression And Loneliness
There are overlaps in the negative health consequences resulting from depression and loneliness. Here is a shortlist of the similarities between depression and loneliness. Loneliness can lead to depression. Loneliness and depression both contribute to anxiety. Depression and loneliness both can lead to suicide. Loneliness and depression can both affect your social life. Depression and loneliness can also affect your ability to be active and exercise.
Related Article: The Loneliness Epidemic and the Social Media Paradox
How Can You Deal With Depression And Loneliness?
Key Point: [bctt tweet=”There are strategies that you can implement in your life to deal with depression and loneliness.” via=”no”]
There are many ways how you can deal with depression and loneliness. It will require you to work on your mental health and become social with people. This can be difficult to do depending on the type of depression you may have. Being social is also a vital solution to solving depression and loneliness. Below are twenty ways how you can deal with depression and loneliness.
20 Ways How To Deal With Depression and Loneliness
Make A Plan
Make a plan for how you will deal with your depression and loneliness. There are many different ways how you can deal with depression and loneliness. The main methods are to focus on your health and relationships and work on yourself. When you have a strategy for dealing with your depression or loneliness, you will have set a standard for yourself that you want to meet in your life.
Take Action
After you plan, you can start to do something about it by acting on your strategy. Action is better than inaction. It may be as simple as saying that you will get out of your bed and open up all the blinds in your house or apartment for depression. For loneliness, an example could be that I will talk to one person for a couple of minutes when I go to a social event.
Exercise
Another way is to exercise. Plan how many times you want to go to the gym a week. This will help you get more fit while regularly seeing people going to the gym. You can plan how often you want to go to the gym to work towards your fitness goals—the combination of exercise and seeing people will help with depression.
Diet
Along with exercise, diet is also essential to improve your mental health. A diet helps you to eat healthier food. When you practice a diet, it will help you to develop self-discipline. This is because you are setting a goal for yourself of what you want to accomplish. You can choose from many diets, with popular diets like the Mediterranean, Keto, Carnivore, French, and Vegan diets.
Go Outside
Instead of staying inside all the time, go outside. You can take a walk around your neighborhood. You could also go on a hike. It is healthy to get out of your house. This will help you get vitamin d from the sun while also seeing and interacting with people.
Mental Health
Depression is a mental health issue. Loneliness can lead to depression and unhealthy habits. For this reason, focus on your mental health. This will better help you to find ways to deal with depression. When you start to focus more on your mental health, you can improve your well-being and productivity.
Meditation
Meditation is a way that you can work to improve your mental health. Meditation helps with stress relief. It also will help to improve your attention and train your thoughts. Meditation can help to develop self-discipline because you are making time in your day to sit down and focus on your ideas for some time. Meditation can also help you to improve your emotional regulation. Meditation can also help you to improve your sleep.
Rest And Sleep
It is also essential to get enough rest and sleep. According to the Sleep Foundation, “growing evidence now suggests that poor sleep may induce or exacerbate depression” You can work to improve your sleep by having a bedtime to set yourself a sleep cycle. Another way is not to have caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco in the evening since they can affect your ability to get a good night’s rest. Another way to improve the quality of your sleep is to take melatonin before bed. You can find melatonin in liquid and capsule form, and you take melatonin about thirty minutes before bed.
Develop Coping Skills
You can also work to develop coping skills. There are unhealthy coping skills such as blaming other people, self-harm, comfort eating and using alcohol and drugs as a way for you to not deal with your emotions or problems. Healthy coping mechanisms distract yourself with healthy activities like exercise or getting outside, journaling, talking to a friend, venting your feelings, changing your mindset, and switching from negative to positive thinking. When you transition from negative to positive coping skills, you will become more productive in your life and feel better overall.
Positive Outlook On Life
Change from a negative outlook on life to a positive outlook on life. Your mindset and how you think about life directly affect your outlook on life. Negative thinking patterns will keep you trapped in negative thinking. You will continue to blame others for where you are in life instead of learning to take responsibility by working to overcome negative thinking and a fixed mindset. The alternative to negative thinking is positive thinking. Another option for a fixed mindset is a growth mindset. When you acquire positive thinking and a growth mindset in your life, you will discover that you will be better able to achieve your goals and be happier.
Time Management
Time management is another skill to learn. As you start to manage your time better, you will keep yourself busy throughout your day. If you are looking to work your time during your day better, there are productivity tools that you can use on your computer or near you to help you manage your time.
There are two productivity tools that I recommend that I ordered from Etsy. APKhome makes a dry-erase acrylic to-do list with a matching daily planner. UsefulPlanner makes a variety of time management pdf documents that you can use on your computer or print out. I recommend UsefulPlanner’s ADHD planner bundle for adults. If you are a small business owner, UsefulPlanner also makes a small business planner binder.
Church
You can go to church or whatever religious organization or beliefs you may have. This will help you to get out of your house and meet like-minded people in your community who share similar values as you. You will also find groups where you can be a part of your church. It could be a young adult group to a book club. A church, or what religious organization you may be a part of, is another way for you to meet like-minded people in your community.
Pets
Another good way to not be depressed or lonely is to have a pet. A dog, cat, or another type of animal gives you something you are responsible for in your life. Pets are beneficial to mental health. Pets can improve your mental health by making your feel less lonely, increase your sense of self-esteem and well-being, decrease stress, and give you unconditional love.
Related Article: 7 Reasons Why Singles Need To Have Pets And Why Pets Are Better Than A Significant Other
Stay In Touch With People
You can stay in touch with people in your life. It could be as simple as sending a text message to a friend or family member, asking how they are doing, and letting them know that you are doing all right. Some basic ways to stay in touch with people in your life are to send a text message, social media message, or email friends or family. You can also meet a friend for coffee or invite friends to your apartment or house.
Related Article: Friends Are The Family You Choose (Even If You Don’t Stay In Touch With A Friend)
Friends
While pets are good, friends are even better! Friends can help you deal with depression and loneliness. Unlike pets, people can talk to you. People also understand emotions. You can also meet with a friend to get coffee or your favorite place to talk about what is on your mind. Social connection is a critical part of human nature. If you have a best friend or a couple of friends you can talk to, consider yourself lucky.
Related Article: 3 Ways Singles Can Have Amazing Relationships With Their Friends In Daily Life
Family
Along with friends, spending time with your family can be a way to deal with depression and loneliness. You grew up with your family, familiar with your siblings and parents. No family is perfect, but they are related to you. You can get together with your family or spend more time socializing with them. If you live near your family, you could get together with them weekly or once a month to socialize with your parents or siblings.
Community
Humans are social creatures. As social creatures, being social is essential for your mental health. There are many different ways how you can find a community. You can go to a Meetup group in your area. You could go to a coffee shop. You could go to a bar or restaurant you want to visit. You could find local events in your area around your interests. You can also volunteer. These are just a few ways to get involved with your community.
Set Realistic Standards For Yourself
When it comes to depression and loneliness, it is critical to set realistic standards for yourself. These practical standards will challenge you to find ways to work on dealing with depression or loneliness. It could be something as simple as getting sunshine so that you don’t stay inside your house. As you begin to feel better, you can raise your standards to meet the goals you want to complete. But as with anything, start small as getting a little sunshine or smiling more often during your day.
Goals
Another way is to work to make goals for yourself. When you set goals for yourself, you have things you are working towards in life. Goals will give reasons to get up in the morning when you may be depressed or feel lonely. A simple goal could be getting up in the morning and leaving your house. You can also set goals for yourself that you want to work to achieve in your life.
Therapy
The final way is to consider seeing a therapist. A therapist is a professional who can help you deal with your depression. A therapist could also give you strategies to get out and meet people to deal with loneliness. There are various types of therapy to help you deal with depression, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Light Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). You can also learn to practice self-care strategies like leaving your house, talking to friends or family, exercising, or seeing a therapist.
Related Article: 5 Reasons Why Singles Need Therapy In Today’s Modern World
Conclusion
There are similarities and overlaps between depression and loneliness. Both can contribute to mental health problems and prevent you from wanting to interact with people. You have many ways to deal with depression and loneliness, from getting a pet, spending time with friends and family, or seeing a therapist.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
There are many problems that singles may deal with in their lives. Singles may feel pressure to date and experience stigmas attached to being single. Some may have experience dealing with mental health issues. Mental health can negatively or positively affect your life. There are many ways mental health can negatively affect your life and five ways to deal with mental health.
How Does Mental Health Affect Your Life? 5 Tips To Improve Your Life!
What Is Mental Health?
Mental health is defined as “the condition of being sound mentally and emotionally that is characterized by the absence of mental illness and by adequate adjustment especially as reflected in feeling comfortable about oneself, positive feelings about others, and the ability to meet the demands of daily life.” It is also the “health care dealing with the promotion and improvement of mental health and the treatment of mental illness.”
How Does Mental Health Affect Your Life?
Mental health can affect various areas of your life. Mental health includes your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental health affects how you think, feel, and act in your life. Mental health will also decide how you interact and relate to other people in your life, handle stress, and how you act. It is vital to pay attention to mental health throughout your life, from childhood to adulthood.
When you have bad mental health, you will notice that it will affect your life. In contrast, when you have good mental health, you will feel better about yourself and be better able to achieve the goals that you have set for yourself.
Mental health can affect your life in many ways. Some problems that you may experience due to mental health issues are:
- It can make you feel sad or down
- It can make you unable to think clearly or reduce your ability to concentrate
- Mental health can contribute to excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt
- Extreme mood changes from lows to highs and highs to lows
- Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities that you enjoy
- Significant tiredness, low energy, or problems sleeping
- Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia, or hallucinations
- Inability to cope with daily problems or stress
- Trouble understanding and relating to people and situations
- Problems with drug abuse or alcohol
- Sex drive changes
- Excessive anger, hostility, or violence
- Thoughts of suicide
How Does Mental Health Affect Your Physical Health?
It is often thought that your physical and mental health are two different things. The two connect and affect each other. Your health is the state of the totality of your physical, mental, and social well-being.
Mental illness is a common problem. Did you know that one in five adults has a mental health problem each year? Mental health is often reduced to feeling depressed. However, mental health includes many different types of issues. Some mental health problems may affect your mood, while other mental illnesses will negatively affect your thinking and behavior. Some examples of common mental health problems are depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders, bipolar depression, and addictive behaviors.
How Does The Mind Connect To The Body?
How does your mental health affect your physical health? If you have poor mental health, it will affect your ability to do things beneficial for your physical health. It can also affect your ability to make the best decisions for your health. Your mental health can also affect your ability to deal with chronic illnesses.
When you intentionally or unintentionally neglect your mental health, it can lead to serious health consequences in your life. Some examples of how your mental health can negatively lead to awful health consequences are:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Weakened immune system
- Asthma
- Obesity
- Gastronomical illness
- Loneliness
- Drinking too much and drug abuse
- Suicide
Did you know that depression can cause fatigue, insomnia, and increased sensitivity to aches and pains due to abnormal function of the neurotransmitters in your brain?
5 Ways How You Can Improve Your Mental Health
The first way is that you can eat a healthy diet. The typical Western diet consists of a diet full of highly processed, high-calorie, and low-nutrient foods, which increase anxiety and depression. Avoid missing meals. When you skip a meal, it can lead to fatigue and an unhealthy amount of snacking during the day. You can eat more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats and fish, and lean protein into your diet. A few common diets are the Mediterranean Diet, Keto Diet, Paleo Diet, and the Low Carb Diet.
The second way is to start to exercise regularly. When you begin to exercise regularly by going for walks or going to the gym, you will feel better. Exercise can also help you feel better in your daily life. Along with losing weight by doing cardio, lifting weights, or combining both, your brain releases endorphins and serotonin that can help decrease anxiety and depression.
The third way is to maintain a steady sleep schedule. When you have a poor sleep schedule, and you don’t get enough sleep, it has been found that a lack of sleep leads to depression, anxiety, and stress. The standard recommendation for adults is to get seven or more hours of sleep each night. If you have trouble falling and staying asleep when you go to bed, there are some things that you can be due to improve your sleep. You can relax before you go to bed. Another technique to improve your sleep before you go to bed is to lower or eliminate the amount of caffeine that you drink before you go to bed. You can also take a sleep pill and tea before bed to help you get a more profound and better sleep. The final way is to set a stricter sleep schedule for bedtime and stick to it. When you set yourself a schedule, you will also improve your self-discipline that you can apply to other areas in your life.
The fourth way is to get support. You can get support from your social circle. Your social circle includes your friends, family, and other members of your community. It is vital to have a social circle and a community to help prevent a decline in mental health. While mental health can be challenging to discuss with your peers and those around you, don’t be afraid to talk about it. If you have been isolating yourself rather than interacting with friends and your community, don’t be afraid to be social again.
The fifth way is to see a mental health professional. There are two main types of mental health professionals that you will find when you start to look into mental health. There are mental health professionals who can assess and treat you. The other type of mental health professionals can prescribe medications and monitor your mental health.
Many different mental health professionals do assessments and therapy. These professionals who evaluate and treat are psychologists, counselors, clinicians, therapists, and social workers. The second type of mental health professionals can prescribe and monitor medications you may need or be on to improve your mental health. There are six types of mental health professionals who can prescribe and monitor your medications. They are psychiatrists, psychiatric or mental health nurse practitioners, family nurse practitioners, primary care physicians, and psychiatric pharmacists. Figure out which professional will best meet your mental health needs. It is up to you to figure out the best type of mental health professional to deal with any mental health problems you may have. Don’t delay getting help if you think you need to talk to a professional. A mental health professional will help you work through your mental health issues and deal with your mental health problems.
Conclusion
Your mental health is vital to your health. What you think directly affects your body. If you have negative thoughts, you will be less optimistic about yourself and your future. The bottom line is that your mental health can directly affect your daily life.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
You may have recently moved into a new apartment, put down a mortgage on your first house, or maybe you bought your first house outright with cash. Whichever it may be, congratulations! Now you can figure out how to host a housewarming party to show your friends and family your new place. Here is the ultimate guide with twenty-five ways how to host a housewarming party for the new homeowner.
The Ultimate Guide for How to Host a Housewarming Party
Here are twenty-five ways to host a housewarming party when you move into a new place. You may be worried that you won’t do things correctly if this is your first housewarming party or that something may go wrong at the event. You worked hard to find and get the apartment or house you now live in your new neighborhood. Be confident in yourself, and now get excited to host your friends and family in your new place!
1) Take Time to Settle in Your New Place
The first thing that you must do before you start to consider hosting a housewarming party is to take time to settle in your new place. Take your time to get fully moved into your new apartment or house. You can make sure that everything is set up, including how you want your furniture and decorations to be in all your rooms. After you are all settled in and finished, you can plan to have a housewarming party.
2) Choose a Day
The second step you will need to do is choose a day to host your housewarming party. If your housewarming party is going to be during the week, make it a time when people can make it after work. If it is on the weekend, you will have more flexibility. Finalize the day of your housewarming party and put it on your calendar.
3) Choose a Time
The third way to prepare for your housewarming party is to choose a time. Figure out a time that works for you and your guests’ schedules. You can plan around the most common work schedules and your work and life schedule. While the most typical work schedule is 9 to 5, it will also depend on the shifts that people may work or more flexibility by working remotely or online. It is ultimately up to you. An afternoon event will be less casual than an evening event.
4) Housewarming Party Etiquette
The fourth thing that you can do is learn about housewarming etiquette. After you have settled in, you can plan for your housewarming party. The best thing that you can know to do when it comes to party etiquette is to learn small talk and talk to your guests to make them comfortable when they come to your party. You can brush up on your social skills and read verbal and non-verbal communication. You can learn small talk, and how to talk to your guests will be covered in more detail below.
5) Don’t Make a Gift Registry
The fifth thing is not to do when hosting a housewarming party to make a gift registry. A housewarming party is not a wedding. You don’t need to do a registry, although housewarming registries are a thing. It will place pressure on your guests because your guests will expect to bring a gift to you to come to your housewarming party.
6) Decide if You want a Party Theme
The sixth way to host a housewarming party is to decide if you want a party theme or not. While a housewarming party theme is unnecessary, it will help make your housewarming party more enjoyable. You will have a theme that your guests can discuss. A party theme is a great way to create conversation starters for guests who may not know each other.
7) Make a List of the People You Want to Invite
The seventh way to host a housewarming party is to make a list of the people you want to invite. The people you will most likely want to invite will be your friends and family. You can also ask your neighbors if you would like to know your neighbors who live near you.
8) Invite Your Neighbors
The eighth way is to invite your neighbors. You just moved to your new neighborhood or into your apartment complex, so get to know your neighbors. You can write an invitation and leave it in your neighbors’ mailbox or under your neighbors’ door so that they get it if you do not know their names. Inviting your neighbors is just a friendly way to show your neighbors that you want to get to know them and that you want to be involved in your community.
9) Write Your Invitations
The ninth way is to start to write your invitation. Once you have made a list of the people you want to invite, you can begin writing the invitations to send to your guests. You can write your invitations on traditional invitation cards or use social media invitations. You can also use both to contact your friends or family, depending on what they are on.
10) Send Your Invitations
The tenth way is to send your invitations to your guests. You will then need to send the invitations. Today, you can send traditional physical invitations to your guests or send an invite over social media or email. Another option is that you can do both to make sure that your guests receive your housewarming party invitation.
11) Organize Your RSVP List
The eleventh way to host a housewarming party is to organize your RSVPs on a list. When you place all your guests’ names who have said they will be coming, you will know who they are and who is planning to go to your housewarming party. You can order or prepare the food yourself if you do finger food. You will need to calculate the amount of food you will need to provide for your guests depending on the number of RSVPs you have responded to your invites.
12) Make a Master Guest List
The twelfth way to host a housewarming party is to make an official guest list after you have organized your RSVP list. The master guest list will be your official guest list, and the people you know for sure who will be coming to your housewarming party will be on the list. You can also use this master guest list to know your guests’ names.
13) Don’t Expect Guests to Bring You Gifts
The thirteenth way is to don’t anticipate your guests bringing your gifts. Gifts are another reason not to make a registry because you do not want to pressure your guests to bring you a gift. It is usually polite for guests to bring a small housewarming gift or party favor. But while housewarming gifts are welcome, don’t place any expectations on your guests that you are expecting gifts.
How to Host Your Housewarming Party on the Big Day
14) Clean and Tidy Up Your Space for Your Guests
The fourteenth way to start your housewarming party is the day before or the day of to start to clean and tidy up your space for your guests. If you live in a bigger apartment or house, you will have to spend more time planning to clean to prepare for your guests. One basic way to clean is to vacuum clean the living and central areas.
15) Decorations for Your Housewarming Party
The fifteenth way is to put up any decorations that you may need to put up for your housewarming. If you are not doing any decorations, you can skip this step. For those doing decorations, give yourself enough time to organize and place your decorations where they need to be for your housewarming party. After you are done putting your decorations or making sure that your house is prepared for your guests, you can start to get ready for your guests to arrive.
16) Prepare for Your Guests to Arrive
The sixteenth way is to prepare for your guests to arrive on the day of your housewarming party. You can double-check everything and make sure that everything is ready for your guests’ arrival. You can sit down, and you can relax.
17) Know Your Guests’ Names
The seventeenth way is to know all your guests’ names. If you are bad with guests’ names, write down all of your guests’ names. This is another reason to have a master guest list as recommended in number twelve.
18) Give Your Guests a Tour of Your New Place
The eighteenth way is to give your guests a tour of your new place. You can either do this at one time with each of your guests. You could also do it with all of your guests. It will depend on your preference and planning to organize your housewarming party.
19) Converse with Your Guests
The nineteenth way is to be a great host to your guests who come to your housewarming party. You can work on your art of conversation and small talk skills with your guests. If you don’t know them too well, you can ask them basic questions. Open-ended questions are the best type to ask because they allow your guests to talk about themselves. You can encourage your guests to talk about themselves because people naturally enjoy talking about themselves. If you know your guests better, you can have deeper conversations than just having small talk.
20) Food and Drinks
The twentieth way to host a housewarming party is to provide food and drinks for your guests. The best type of food is to do either finger foods or host a potluck. These are excellent options because they will require you to limit the amount of preparation you need to do for your housewarming party for your guests. You can also double-check to see if any of your guests have any allergies or foods that they cannot eat so that those guests feel welcomed at your party. You can have non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks at your housewarming party. You can choose a favorite beverage to celebrate and pick up some popular, less expensive drink options for your guests so that they have options. For non-alcoholic drinks, you can have still and sparkling water, soda, lemonade, tea, or anything else that you and your guests would enjoy at your housewarming party. If you want some home bar ideas for your house, check out this article by Angi. You could also consider playing a drinking game, depending on the age of your guests. Here are two downloadable printable drinking games that you may want to do at your housewarming or at another party you may host.
21) Use Paper Plates, Cups, and Napkins
The twenty-first way is to use paper or plastic plates, cups, and napkins. You will also not have to worry if a guest accidentally drops a glass plate or a cup on the floor. Using paper plates, cups, and napkins will make cleaning up easier for you.
22) Create a Music Playlist
The twenty-second way is to create a music playlist for your housewarming party to be more welcoming to your guests. Music helps set the mood for parties and events, and you can choose the type of mood you want to set. Still, the most common mood will be more casual and fun, like this Housewarming Party Spotify Playlist by Windermere Real Estate. It is ultimately up to you to play the type of music since it is your party.
After Your Housewarming Party
23) Clean Up
The twenty-third way is to clean up after your housewarming party. Hopefully, you thought that your housewarming party went well, and you felt that you did well as a host. You can spend time cleaning up any paper plates, glasses, or anything that your guests may have accidentally left behind. If you have found that a guest left something behind, contact the guest and let them know that you have their phone or what you saw. You can plan to meet up with them or wait for them to return their lost item.
24) Relax After Your Guests Leave
The twenty-fourth way is to relax after your guests have left and you have cleaned up after the housewarming party. Pour yourself your favorite drink. Celebrate being a good host and putting on a housewarming party for your guests.
25) Send Thank You Notes
The final way is to send thank you notes to all the guests who came to your housewarming party. Sending a thank-you note is just a polite thing to do, and it shows your guests that you value them taking their time to come to your housewarming party. Try to avoid making these have generic thank you messages. Emily Post has a complete writing guide for writing thank you notes that you can read here. You can make it more personal by including something you talked about with a guest when they came to your party.
Conclusion
These are twenty-five ways to host a housewarming party at the new place where you are moving to in the next stage of your life. You can invite your friends, family, and family to your housewarming party. After your guests leave, don’t feel bad about spending some time relaxing before preparing to send your thank you cards to your guests.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Society and the institutions that are supposed to guide people are no longer relevant. People have lost trust in institutions, and these institutions can no longer help or guide men so that they can navigate and plan for their lives. There are a few key ways a man can understand his way. These include finding a mentor, taking responsibility for your life, and working to have a strategy and a plan for your life. How can a man understand his way? Single men can start to take back their lives by becoming self-reliant, finding mentors, and working to achieve their life goals. Here are twenty-one ways how a man can understand his way today.
How Can A Man Understand His Way? 21 Ways!
There are a few different ways for single men to start to understand his way. It will require single men to take back their lives rather than going along with the things that society wants that make men weak. These twenty ways are steps for how single men can take back their lives today.
21 Ways How a Man can Find His Way
1. Find a Mentor
The first way a man can understand his way is to find a mentor. It has become more difficult for men, and people in general, to find a mentor. You can find a mentor to help you reach your goals, ranging from religious or spiritual goals to career or business goals. Unfortunately, mentorship seems to have become lost for Millennials and younger generations. A mentor can help you stay humble, hold you accountable, and motivate you to work towards your life goals.
A mentor can also help you navigate problems they have dealt with in the past from their own experience so that you don’t make the same mistakes. Mentorship can also help you find your purpose. Purpose is something that seems to be lost today. Without a life purpose, you will have no life direction and will find yourself distracted and always remaining stuck where you are in your life. When you have a mentor, it is also a process of continual self-education to help to guide you to where you want to be with your life. While a mentor won’t be able to give your all of the answers, you can learn from their own life and experiences that you can then apply to better your own life. A mentor can help you become a more well-rounded person because you will hear stories from someone who is likely older than you. A mentor can give you life advice because they have more life experience. A mentor can provide you with career advice because they have more professional experience than you in your field.
2. Don’t Get Distracted by Romantic Relationships
The second way is don’t get distracted by romantic relationships. Instead of always pursuing romantic relationships or dating, you can start to spend that time working on yourself. When you stop spending all of your time going out on dates, you will also find that you are saving money that you can save or invest. You can also put your money into other things that you enjoy doing in your life. Instead of dating, you can better use your time and money.
3. Get rid of Toxic Friends and Toxic People
The third way a man can understand his way is to get rid of toxic friends and toxic people in his life. Single men can also decide to stop spending time with toxic friends and toxic people they may have in their life. Toxic friends hold you back, and toxic people can negatively affect how you think about and view yourself. Toxic people will affect your mindset and prevent you from reaching your full potential.
4. Practice Self-Discipline
The fourth way is to practice self-discipline. Self-discipline is freedom. You can work to build self-discipline in your life by improving your daily habits to change from bad habits to practicing good habits. Self-discipline also leads to inner growth.
5. Take Responsibility for Your Life
The fifth way a man can understand his way is to start to take responsibility for his life. In modern society, people expect things to be easy for them if they follow the process that society tells them to go through and then have a professional career. When you start to take responsibility for your life, you can plan out your life as much as possible.
6. Plan Out Your Life as much as Possible
The sixth way is to plan out your life as much as possible. While you will be unable to plan for everything that will happen in your life, you can write down one-, three-, five-, and ten-year plans to plan long term for your future. Planning will help you better plan for your future to stay on target rather than becoming stagnant and remaining where you are in your life.
7. Find Your Passion
The seventh way a man can understand his way is to find his passion. When you plan out your life, you will ideally know your passion. But to do that, you must first find and understand your passion. What are your favorite things to do? What are your strengths? You can follow your strengths and passions to figure out where you want to spend your time.
8. Know Yourself
The eighth way a man can understand his way is to know yourself. The Temple at Delphi had the saying inscribed on the Greek temple, “Know Thyself.” When you start to know yourself, you will better be able to find your passions and the things you enjoy doing in your life. You can discover your values, and then you can surround yourself with people who share your values.
9. Work Towards Your Life Goals
The ninth way a man can understand his way is to work towards his life goals. Once you have written down your life goals and the steps to get there with a range of life plans, you can create a strategy to work to get there to make it a reality. You can practice self-discipline in your daily life and good habits to improve your chances of success to achieve your life goals.
10. Focus on Your Health
The tenth way a man can understand his way is to focus more on his health. You can do this by focusing on your diet and personal health. There are a few main ways to start to improve your health. You can get on a good diet rather than eating processed food. Some popular diets are the Mediterranean diet, Keto diet, Carnivore diet, and the DASH Diet.
11. Go to the Gym
The eleventh way a man can understand his way is to go to the gym consistently. Many benefits come with exercise. When you go to the gym to do cardio and strength exercises, you will slowly notice that you will feel better about yourself over time. You will also start to look better over time too. It may not be fun initially to go to the gym, but you may enjoy it as you begin to see results for your hard work to go to the gym consistently. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle mass, or combine both, you will feel better about yourself and sleep better when you always exercise and go to the gym.
You can choose the one that works for you and the goal you want to work towards for your health. You can go for walks outside or do cardio exercises on cardio machines at the gym, and you can also lift weights and work to increase your strength.
12. Exercise Your Mind
The twelfth way a man can understand his way is to exercise his mind daily. Single men can start to exercise their minds by doing exercises that will strengthen their minds. There are different ways that you improve your mind. You can do this by limiting the amount of television and social media that you watch or interact with in your life. You can also learn how to think critically and to have a debate. Another way is to challenge yourself by listening to the argument from someone you disagree with to see if the ideas you make against their position hold up against scrutiny. A third way is to do mental exercises to train your mind on websites like Lumonsity or Brainable.
13. Meditate or Pray
The thirteenth way a man can understand his way is to meditate or pray. You can start to meditate or pray consistently. Meditation can help you reduce stress, control anxiety, and help fight addictions. Meditation and prayer can also help you experience more peace in your life.
14. Overcome Your Fears
The fourteenth way a man can understand his way is to overcome the fears in his life. You can work to overcome fear in your life. There are two ways how you can work to defeat fear in your life. The first way is to challenge your fear in small ways. You can work to incorporate your fears into your daily life. As you start to challenge your fears, you will slowly chip away at your fears. The second way is to learn relaxation techniques. Learn to relax. You can take some time to relax. Some relaxation techniques include meditation, deep breathing, or distraction exercises in your daily life when you start to feel overwhelmed by fear.
15. Self-Education
The fifteenth way a man can understand his way is to practice self-education. College degrees now suffer from degree inflation. There is no need to spend lots of money on an overpriced degree and get brainwashed by the higher education system unless what you want to do requires a college degree. College is just about being about to do well in tests, and you will learn more from self-education anyways. You can study things that you find interesting rather than taking college tests.
Self-education is simply the process of educating yourself. You can focus on what you are passionate about in your life. Self-education is more accessible today in the Internet Age. You can read books, watch videos, listen to podcasts, and read articles on the topics you want to learn. When you go on the path of self-education, you always are working to improve yourself. You will wish to continue to educate yourself on what interests you rather than stopping once you get a college degree.
16. Self-Reliant
The sixteenth way for how a man can understand his way is to work to become self-reliant. Self-reliance relies on your capabilities, judgment, or resources to be independent. When you are self-reliant, you also trust your powers of judgment and trust yourself. As you become more self-reliant, you will see that you will also gain more self-confidence. Self-reliance is vital because it is how you become free and independent from your family and can start to provide for yourself. Rather than relying on others and conforming to society’s expectations, follow what you want to do and set out to achieve your goals. You can learn to rely on yourself instead of going along with the crowd.
17. Work to Increase Your Net Worth
The seventeenth way for how a man can understand his own way is to work to increase his net worth over time. There is nothing wrong with money. The more you learn about money and how it works, the more vital you realize that money is just a store of energy. The energy is what you receive for your productivity from your job or what you contribute to society. People purchase a product or service from you. Over time, you find ways to increase your net worth by discovering ways to make your money work for you. You can invest money in the stock market or cryptocurrencies. You could also create passive income through an online business or real estate. You could earn extra money by working a side hustle. You can also save and preserve your wealth by putting a percentage of your money in precious metals. Precious metals and cryptocurrencies are also ways to stay outside the fiat financial system.
18. Become the Best Version of Yourself
The eighteenth way for how a man can understand his way is to work to become the best version of yourself. You can start prioritizing what you need to get done in your day and what you want to work towards in your life. You will find that you will become the best version of yourself as you become more self-confident, more independent, achieve your goals, and increase your net worth over time.
19. Be Independent
The nineteenth way for how a man can understand his own way is to work to be independent. As you get more confident, self-reliant, overcome your fears, and grow your net worth over time, you will discover that you will be independent. Independence comes when you can provide for yourself, do the things you want, and live without worrying about others since you are now in control of your life. Your parents are no longer telling you what to do or pressuring you because you are now free from your parents since you can provide for yourself.
20. Think for Yourself
The twentieth way a man can understand his own way is to learn to think for himself. Society has become flooded by propaganda from the mainstream media. In college and higher education, people are taught what to think rather than how to think. Being able to think for yourself will set you apart from your peers in society. You can learn to think for yourself, and you can do this by learning logical fallacies and questioning authority.
21. Find Your Purpose
The twenty-first way for how a man can understand his own way is to find his life purpose. There seems to have been a loss of purpose for people over at least the last few years. How can you find your life purpose? Your purpose will often be in the middle of this Venn Diagram, and it will be in the middle between your interests, your skills, and a problem that you care about in your life. You can find your life purpose when you know what is for you.
Conclusion
These are twenty-one ways for a man to understand his way and live a life of freedom. In a society with corrupt institutions and broken promises from institutions, you can work to go your way rather than continuing to believe in failed institutions. It is up to you to grow a spine, put in the hard work, and achieve the goals you have set to accomplish in your life.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
It is easy to get distracted and lose sight of your goals. There are many ways to waste precious hours of your time without working towards your dreams. It is important not to lose your life direction. Here are five simple ways to keep your life direction and achieve your life goals.
Keep Your Life Direction On Course In 5 Steps
Avoid Distractions
The most important thing that you must do is to avoid distractions. This is easier said than done because it requires you to learn time management skills and to implement these time management skills every day. Distractions may include social media, watching television, reading the news, entertainment, and spending time that is not productive for you. Make a list of your distractions and work to decrease the amount of time that you spend on these distractions. Time is a valuable finite resource and it is the one resource that you can never make back in your life. If you want to better manage your time and goals, implement the next four steps below to work to achieve your life goals.
Create a List of What You Want Out of Life
In order to not lose your life direction, you should first write down a list of what you want out of life. Writing things down in a physical notebook is worth doing because it helps you have robust recall while also improving your brain health and brain development. Start by writing what you want out of life and after it is fine-tuned, you can transfer your list to your computer and phone. By saving it in multiple places, you can review when you are at home or running errands so that you can make sure that you sticking to your list. Along with have a list of your goals of what you want out of life, you need to have a time period set to achieve each of your different goals.
SMART Criteria
First, in order to act on your goals and to achieve your goals they must be clearly defined. SMART criteria is a process to create clearly defined goals that you can measure to achieve success. SMART stands for simple, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Simple means that you are able to distill your goal down into a few words so that it is straightforward. Measurable means that is quantifiable so that you can validate your goal. Attainable means that they are reasonable given the time period to complete the goal. Relevant means that the goal fits into the larger life goals that you have set for yourself to achieve in life. Time-based means that you have set a timeframe for when to complete your goals. The SMART criteria will help you to complete the goals that you set out for yourself over periods of time.
Short Term Goals
Short term goals are goals that you want to achieve six months to a one-year time period. By creating a short-term goal, you are better able to get to where you want to be in life. Follow the SMART criteria and write down the goals that you want to work to achieve this year.
Medium Term Goals
Medium term goals are for goals that are two to five years out. Do the same process as you did for your short-term goals. This will help you to make your medium-term goals a reality in the next few years.
Long Term Goals
Long-terms goals are for goals that are five to ten years out, or even further out depending on how long term you want to plan for your life. Plan for your life long term and keep life direction.
It is important to have a life direction and to create goals for your life. Life direction and goals provide you with an outline of what you want to work towards in life and is a way to keep you accountable to meet your life goals. Rather than getting distracted by life and things that take away your time and attention, work to create goals for yourself to keep your life’s direction.